Electromagnetic device



June 16, 1925. 1,542,398

P. K. MGALL ELECTROMAGNETI C DEVICE Filled DeG- 31. 1920 ZSheets-Sheet l /0//6 /r/g/'Jfr/Z lllllllll Humm /J lll June 16, 1925.l

1,542,398 P. K. MCGALL ELECTROMAGNETI C DEVI CE Filed Dec. :51, i920 2 .sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,542,398 PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP K. MCGALL, 0F EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE.

Application tiled December 31, 1920.

To all whom it may concer/n:

Be it known that 1,'PH1L1P K. MCGALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex, State ot New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electromagnetic Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates in general to electro magnetic devices and more particularly to an electrical relay of the slow-acting type.

In many circuits, such for example, as automatic telephone circuits, it is necessary to maintain a certain sequence of operation of the apparatus involved in the circuit and this is accomplished very often by the use of slow-acting relays. Heretofore, relays have been made slow-acting largely by the use of copper sleeves, which serve as short-circuited windings of very low resistance. By this means relays are obtained, the speed of operation ot which is relatively slow for normal operating currents, but is greatly i11- creas'cd when operating with currents of higher value.

1t is the object of the present invention to provide an electromagnetic device in which the time of operation is relatively slow. A further object is to provide such a. relay in which the time of operation is independent of the operating current.A A still further object is to provide a relay which is slow operating but quick releasing.

T o accomplish these objects and in accord-y ance with a feature of the invention, there is provided an electromagnetic device in which the time of operation is delayed by an escapement to take place a considerable.

period of time afterv the armature itself hasv reached its operated position.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the operation of the armature allows a spring member to operate an escapev Serial No. 434,183.

the relay disclosed in Fig. l; Figs. 4, 5 and (i are plan, elevation and end views respectively o'f a modiiied construction in which the time of release is not retarded; Fig. 7 is a partial view of a one-way clutch as employed in the structure of Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 is a similar view of this clutch in the driving position.

.Referring now to the drawing, there is disclosed in Figs. 1 to 3 a relay of the wellknown flat type comprising an operating winding having a core member 6 extending therethrough and provided with a substantially U-shaped armature 7. The legs of this arn'lature are secured by means of .flexible hinged members 8, 8, to the rearwz'irdly-extending clamping plate 9 of core 6. Contact springs 10 and 11 are secured to the clamping plate 9 by means of screws 12, 12 and plate 13, and are insulated from each other by means of strips 14, 14; of micarta or similar insulating material. A' threaded stud 15 is securely fastened to the end of core 6 and is provided with a shoulder nut 16, which is adapted to engage the armature 7 and limit its backward motion. Securely riveted or otherwise fastened to the legs of armature 7 near the hinged portion, are the free ends of a substantially U-shaped tension member 18. This member is provided with a right angled projecting yoke 19 in which is secured aI screw stud 20, which, in turn, is adapted to engage a perforation in an escapementv lever 21. This escapement lever rotates about a pivot. pin 22, which is secured between the side plates 23, 23 of a frame member fastened to the core 6. Also mounted upon one of the plates 23 is a clock pivot 24 upon which a weight member 25 is adapted to oscillate. Pins 26, 26, :which are provided on the weight member, are adapted toengage the free end of lever 21 which is provided with saw-teeth 27, 27. A. stud 28 is provided as shown, in either leg of armature 7, and by means of adjusting nuts 29, 29 it is possible to adjust the tension of member 18. Insulating studs 30, of hard rubber or similar material, are secured to the member 18 in alignn'ient with contact springs 10, and in their moveme.-.`i` -fase contact springs 10 to engage contact springs 11. The side plates 23, 23 are provided with right-angled projections 31, 31., which serve as guides for y a casing 32, which is held in place by means lll Cil

of a spring 33 having a projecting portion 34e, adapted to engage a similar portion in the casing.

The operation ol' the device is as follows: upon su'liicient current 'flowing through the operatinwinding` 5, the armature T is attracted to core (3, overcomingl the tension ot the hinged members t5, S. As a result oit the n'iovement oi the armature the tension inember 1S is permitted to exert pressure upon the lever 2l by means ol the yoke if) and stud 20. 'lhe lever 2l rotates about the pivot Q2, but its rotation is delayed by means ot the pins 2l), 26, which alternately engage the saw-teeth QT, thus causing the weight 25 to t'unction as an escape-ment and oscillate back and loi-th. The movement ot the 1n anber 1S is thus delayed, causinv an appreciable interval ot' time betere the contact springs lv` l() have moved a sutlicient distance to engage contact springs ll. ll. Upon the deenergization ot' the winding o, the armature returns to its normal position against the nut i6 and in so doing, overcome the tension ot' member 1S, 'forcing it back slowly, due to the operation ot the escapenient.

lt will be noted that in the :structure disclosed. thev time ot operation in no way dependent upon the speed o` operation ol' the armature itself, since the torce exerted by member 18 is independent ot' tli'e speed olf operation ot the armature. lt is thus possible to provide slow-acting relays havingl a constant speed ot operation irrespective ol the operating current supplied.

Referring now to Figs. l, and (5, there is disclosed a modified construction in which the retarding means does not atl'ect the time or" release.` A tlat type relay of the. same general construction as shown in Fig. l is provided with an operating coil lt), an armature ll, and a core. 42. The armature is pivoted to a Clampingplate #i3 by means of flexible hinged members 44, del. rllhe end i core 42 is provided with a tlireadct stud :3 equipped with a shoulder adjusting nut which limits the travel of armature Ill inone direction. ligidly secured to the core iii a mounting trame l? made ot nonmagnetic material such as brass, and havinga substantially U-snaped cross section. .Pivotallv mounted within the frame t7 by means of pin 8, is a lever l@ liaviiig` an end racl; member 5t), provided with teeth adapted to engage with pinion l which may rotate 'freely upon shaft disc member 53 is rigidly secured to the pinion 5l and cooperates with an escapement wheel 54 and a dog 55 to provide a one-way clutch. The lower portion of the dog extends through a slot 5G in escapement wheel 5l and is bi fnrcated and formed as shown to hold it in the desired position. The upper portion oi is provided with a recessed portion :3T through which the disc may rotate counterclocliwise direction the dog assumes the position shown in Fig. 8 andA serves to drive the escapement wheel .in escapenient anchor 5S arranged in operative relation to wheel 5l and is pivotallv mounted to the trame .JJ by means of the pin 5S). The escapement anchor carries the arm (3() provided at its tree end, with :i slot portion adapted to engage the pin til mounted in a` weight member 62, which pivotally mounted to the frame by means oi: a pivot screw 6&3.

The armature ll is provided with insulat` ing studs (35, (357 which engage the tree ends ot tension springs 66. (lo. (font-.1ct springs (5T, (ST are provided lwith U-shapedsections (5S, (3S which serve to limit the separation between the springs (56 and springs (3T. The springs (5T are also provided with rightangled projecting members 09, G9 upon which is pivotally mounted a Ueshaped bracket 'TU o' insulating material. This brat-liet carries a nin Tl. which engages a perforation in exion T2 oi' lever 4i). Contact springsrll, T) are provided to be engaged by contact springs 6T. (5T upon sullicient movement ot the latter. The contact springs (37 and 73 and the. wiiu'lingr terminal springs 'TG are secured to the clamping plate 43 by means ot screws 74. and are insulated trom the plate and l'rom each other by means o't in sulating strips 7:3, To oi hard rubber or similar material.

Upon Energ-ization ol the winding 4t), the armature it at once drawn tothe core l2 tinst thev tension of springstl, thus allowing the springs GT to move in the direction of spring 73. This movement, however, is slow because ot' the escapement means provided. The movement of springs 6T causes the rota-tion ot' lever 49 through the medium ot bracket T0, pin Tl and extension 72.

Referring' tov Fig. 4, the lever 49 tends to rotate about the pin 48 in a clockwise direction, and the rack portion 50 cooperates with the pinion 5l, thus driving the disc in a countenclockwise dinection as shown' in Fig'. S. The dog grips the disc 53 and causes the rotation ot escapement wheel 54. As this wheel tends to rotate, the pallets of escapement anchor 58 ultimately engage the teeth ot the escapement wheel and cause the oscillation ot weight 62. The period of oscillation ot the weight is purposely made low so that a considerable interval o't time exists between the time when the armature Jil is attracted to the core and the` time when contact springs (5T, (57 have moved an amount sutlicient to cause them to engage Contact springs (Si), 69. Upon the release o't` armature 42, the movement is in a direction to cause the disc. to rotate in a clockwise direction. in which case the dog llo Ellll 55 assumes the position shown in Fig. 7 and allows the disc to rotate freely without driving the escapement wheel 54. The contact springs 67 are thus allowed to move quickly from springs 73, 7 3 and cause a quick opening of the contacts.

What is claimed is:

1,. An electromagnetic device comprising an operating winding, an armature, switch springs, a member for actuating said springs and operated by the movement of the armature in one direction, means for retarding said member to cause it to actuate the springs a predetermined interval after the armature has completed its movement, and means for rendering said retarding means ineffective to delay the action of said member on the movement of the armature in the opposite direction.

2. An electromagnetic device comprising an operating winding, an armature, switch springs, amember for closing said springs actuated by the attraction of said armature, means for retarding said member to cause it to close said springs a predetermined interval after the armature has completed its movement, and means for rendering said retarding means ineffective to delay the opening of the springs on the retraction of said armature.

3. An elec-troma netic device comprising an energizing win ing, an armature therefor, a plurality of contact springs, an operatin member, a connection between said mem er and said armature for causing the member to close said springs upon the attraction of said armature, means for retarding the movement of said operating member consisting of an escapement and an oscillating member in operative relation therewith, said operating member being under the control of, but independent to the time of operation of said armature, and means for rendering said escapement ineffective on the return movement of said armature.

4. .A circuit-controlling device compris` ing an energizing winding, an armature therefor, a plurality of contacts, an operating member controlling said contacts, a flexible spring member tensioned against said armature and controlling the operation of said contacts, an escapement, a lever system connecting said operating member with the escapement and an oscillating member to govern the speed of operation of said escapement.

5. A circuit controlling device comprising an energizing winding, an armature therefor, a plurality of contacts, a flexible spring member tensioned against said armature controlling the operation of the contacts, an escapement retarding the movement of said spring member, a one-way clutch operable to prevent the operation of said escapement in one direction and an oscillating member in operative relation with said escapement to govern the speed of operation of said escapement.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29th day of December, A. D.,

PHILIP K. MCGALL. 

